Lea Salonga and RH Bill 4244

I just heard Ms. Lea Salonga in the news saying that she supports the RH Bill 4244. I heard her saying something to the effect of leaving the size of the family to the couple's decision.

You see, my husband and I are fans of Ms. Lea...We bought her CDs, went to her concerts, watched her stage plays...We love her...we believe in her talent...and we still do and will continue to do so.

On the RH Bill -- I may differ from where she stands...but I think we are the same on "leaving the size of the family to the couple's decision"...However, COUPLE's DECISION -- this is precisely what this RH bill is destroying. Check out RH Bill 4244's Section 28 - Prohibited Acts, Item a.2 "The following acts are prohibited...Any healthcare service provider, whether public or private, refuse to perform legal and medically safe reproductive health procedures on any person of legal age on the lack of third party consent or authorization. In the case of married persons, the mutual consent of the spouses will be preferred. However, in case of disagreement, the decision of the one undergoing the procedure shall prevail...."

Now, is there any consideration there to "COUPLE's DECISION"? This is only an INDIVIDUAL's decision. How would you feel if your spouse went straight ahead and had a ligation or vasectomy without you knowing about it? What about the essence of marriage which is suppose to be a PARTNERSHIP of two individuals to raise a family? If one partner can go right ahead and do whatever he/she likes with regard to his/her ability to procreate, where is the COUPLE's DECISION there? And note that procedures like ligation and vasectomy are IRREVERSIBLE...This bill is undermining the relationship of husbands and wives...

And this is just one of those "fine prints" that is in this RH Bill that really needs to be further discussed. There are more...the rights of practicing Catholic doctors who wouldn't want to perform such procedures, the rights of practicing Catholic employers who don't want to cover abortifacient contraceptive pills, irreversible procedures like ligation/vasectomy in their medical benefits, the rights of parents to educate their children according to their moral standards, the rights of practicing Catholic taxpayers who wouldn't want their tax monies used for something that is against their beliefs, the right to practice ones religion without fear for being imprisoned and/or fined...

Note that in Section 29 - Penalites, it is said there "Any violation of this Act or commission of the foregoing prohibited acts shall be penalized by imprisonment ranging from one (1) month to to six (6) months or a fine of ten thousand pesos(P10,000) to fify thousand pesos (P50,000)or both...." Are we going to prison because of our religious beliefs? What about our BASIC CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS to Freedom of Religion?

Akala ko ba PRO-CHOICE those who would want to pass the RH Bill? In reality, this bill is not leaving any choice for those who would want to choose otherwise.

We don't need this bill...Those who would like to use artificial contraceptives are already FREE TO DO SO...Why PENALIZE those who would rather not support artificial contraceptives?

There are a lot of good items in the bill...But there are contentious items there too that needs to be taken out as it violates basic constitutional rights...So please do read the WHOLE bill...from beginning to end...Check this link if you'd want to read more -- CFCFFL Position on RH Bill: http://cfcyfl.org/index.php/2011/03/cfcffl-position-re-the-consolidated-rh-bill-hb-4244/

My Personal Credo

Just attended a Retreat last week and we were asked to do a Personal Credo. May I share it here...

My Personal Credo

I am a daughter of God in the middle of the world.
The dignity of my being emanates from this truth.

I lovingly fulfill my vocation
as a caring wife to my husband,
as a nurturing mother to my children,
as a dutiful daughter to my parents,
as a loyal faithful of the Church,
as a patriotic citizen of my country,and,
as an effective professional in my chosen career.

I am an ordinary human being
living an ordinary life
who will do my ordinary work and duties
extra-ordinarily well
whether at the home,
at the workplace,
in the communities that I belong - ecclesiastical or juridical.

And in so doing,
I will be doing God's will for me,
I can be alte Christus, ipse Christus to others,
I can show my love and give greater glory
to my God, Father and Lord.

Why We Oppose Reproductive Health Bill 5043

We strongly oppose the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill (HB5043) for the following reasons:

1. AS EMPLOYERS, we do not want to be compelled to provide free reproductive health care services, supplies, devices and surgical procedures (including vasectomy and ligation) to our employees, and be subjected to both imprisonment and/or a fine, for every time that we fail to comply. (Section 17 states that employers shall provide for free delivery of reproductive health care services, supplies and devices to all workers more particularly women workers. (Definition of Reproductive Health and Rights Section 4, paragraph g, Section 21, Paragraph c and Section 22 on Penalties)

2. AS HEALTH CARE SERVICE PROVIDERS, we do not want to be subjected to imprisonment and/or a fine, if we fail to provide reproductive health care services such as giving information on family planning methods and providing services like ligation and vasectomy, regardless of the patient's civil status, gender, religion or age ( Section 21 on Prohibited Acts, Letter a, Paragraphs 1 to 5 and Section 22 on Penalties)

3. AS SPOUSES, we do not agree that our husband or wife can undergo a ligation or vasectomy without our consent or knowledge. (Section 21 on Prohibited Acts, Letter a, Paragraph 2)

4. AS PARENTS, we do not agree that children from age 10 to 17 should be taught their sexual rights and the means to have a satisfying and "safe" sex life as part of their school curriculum. (Section 12 on Reproductive Health Education and Section 4 Definition of Family Planning and Productive Health, Paragraph b, c and d)

5. AS CITIZENS, we do not want to be subjected to imprisonment and/or pay a fine, for expressing an opinion against any provision of this law, if such expression of opinion is interpreted as constituting "malicious disinformation" ( Section 21 on Prohibited Acts, Paragraph f and Section 22 on Penalties)

6. We also oppose other provisions such as losing our parental authority over a minor child who was raped and found pregnant (Section 21, a, no.3)

7. We also do not agree to the provision which reclassifies contraceptives as essential medicines (Section 10) and appropriating limited government funds to reproductive services instead of basic services (Section 23)

Thus, we urge you to immediately stop deliberations on the bill and stop wasting taxpayers money.

Thank you, Sta. Clara

We have an image of Sta. Clara that was lent to us by a family friend to help us to get pregnant when we were having difficulty then. True enough, through the intercession of St. Clare, we now have two healthy very active kids. Now the owner of the image is already asking back the image to be again lent to another couple wanting to conceive.

Thank you, St. Clare. We are glad to have your image in our home but now you have to go and help another couple. Though your image will be away, you will stay forever in our hearts. St. Clare, pray for us.

Benedict XVI's Jesus of Nazareth: Reflections Part 1

I just ended Chapter Three of the book "Jesus of Nazareth" by Pope Benedict XVI (Doubleday, 2007). There are a lot of quotations in those three chapters that I love, that impressed me and that made me stop to think and reflect, I'd like to share some of them.

Chapter 1: Baptism
Page 18 "He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners". You have to realize how fast Jesus works -- at the beginning of his public life Jesus has already covered his agenda that is identifying himself with The Father and with the Father's Will, and in so doing, Jesus already started to act on our behalf by having himself baptized by John the Baptist. Jesus doesn't have to (even John the Baptist was surprised by his action) as he is God, but he's doing it only because he is already anticipating the Cross and he'd like to show us that to we have to repent our sins and be renewed in him. "To accept the invitation to be baptized now means we have to go to the place of Jesus' Baptism. It is to go where he identifies himself with us and to receive there our identification with him"(page 18)...Beautiful!

Chapter 2: The Temptations of Jesus
This chapter could be one of my favorites in this book. Pope Benedict XVI one by one digested and analyzed the temptations Jesus faced in the desert. When Jesus was tempted by the devil to turn the stone into bread, Jesus rejected it. Then fast-forwarding to the multiplication of the loaves, the Lord fed the multitudes. What's the difference? Why did he not turn the stone to bread but did a miracle by feeding the multitude? In the multiplication of the loaves, the people sought God first and because of God's concern that they might get hungry, the Lord ensured that they would have something to eat. Whereas, in the temptation scene, it was really more of a challenge to Jesus to prove himself as the Son of God, as God himself. Sometimes we fall into that trap -- asking miracles from God so that he can prove himself to us. Oh, we men of little faith! "Jesus is not indifferent toward men's hunger, their bodily needs, but he places these things in the proper context and the proper order." (page 32).
There is another quotation in this chapter that could be a good reflection piece especially for people who are in authority, page 39, "Without heaven, earthly power is always ambiguous and fragile. Only when power submits to the measure and the judgement of heaven - of God, in other words - can it become power for good. And only when power stands under God's blessing can it be trusted."...Wow! Calling all politicians ;-)

Chapter 3: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God
Pope Benedict XVI talked about the tension between ethics and grace by discussing the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector (page 61-62). You can really see here the difference in their mindset. The Pharisee was focusing on himself and in actuality does not need God, while the tax collector sees himself "in the light of God. He has looked toward God, and in the process his eyes have been opened to see himself." He saw how inadequate he was in front of God. "He needs God, and because he recognizes that, he begins through God's goodness to become good himself"...Lesson of the story? Seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else follows...

As I have said in my previous post, this book really is so beautiful to read, to reflect on...I know I am not doing much justice to the book with my reflections here so do get your copy and read the book yourself...I am going to continue though with my personal reflections/favorite quotations on each of the book's chapters so until next time...the book is upto Chapter 10.

Blown Away Reading Benedict XVI's Jesus of Nazareth

I am currently reading "Jesus of Nazareth" by Pope Benedict XVI and is pleasantly blown away by it. I am now in Chapter 3 but I am already so ecstatic reading it. It is so well written, the depth of discussion is so immense, and it is actually easy to read! I also read before encyclicals and exhortations of The Great Pope John Paul II but I usually find myself re-reading because I can't seem to immediately grasp the context the first time. Maybe because Pope John Paul II is first a Philosopher while Pope Benedict XVI is more a Theologian. I will try to post at least a reflection on each chapter. Gosh, can't wait to go back reading!

Prayers and Patrons for Expectant Mothers

My hubby and I are blessed with a second pregnancy. In fact, I will be giving birth sometime mid-February. In my second pregnancy, as with my first, I have to undergo special care as I have to contend with immunological problems (APAS, high natural killer cells, etc.) plus a low-lying placenta. So aside from my very competent doctors, of course, I ask for help from Our Lord and all our friends in Heaven to help me get through these pregnancies in a healthy and safe manner. Thus, I would like to share with you the Novenas and other prayers I use to help me get through my pregnancies smoothly, here goes:

1. Our Lady of La Leche - I go to Our Lady to ask for her help always. Just like when she assisted St. Elizabeth during her pregnancy, I also ask Our Lady to assist me during my pregnancy and during the delivery so everything will go smoothly. Her title as Our Lady of La Leche focuses on having good birth and ample supply of milk for the baby's good nutrition. When I gave birth to my 1st child, everything really went well considering all the hurdles I have to face plus I have ample milk that I exclusively breastfed my child until she was 1 year old.

2. St. Gerard Majella - This novena was given to me by a friend. St. Gerard according to the literature accompanying the Novena is the patron of mothers, expectant mothers in particular.

3. St. Josemaria Escriva - St. Josemaria is one of my favorite saints. I usally ask for his intercession for almost everything because he is the saint of the ordinary. When I am pregnant, I usually ask for his prayers to help my doctors take care of me and my baby.

4. The Santo Bambino of Aracoeli - I was given a stampita of the Santo Bambino of Aracoeli by a friend during the time when I was having difficulty getting pregnant. I kept that stampita in my wallet and it stays there to this day. I glance at the picture of the baby Jesus and implore His Mercy and grant my prayers to have children. Well, He never fails -- and I know you know that already!

So to all the expectant mothers out there, congratulations and a enjoy motherhood!

Which Sports Car Are You?

I am a Ferrari 360 Modena! As if we can be defined by a sports car :-) but admittedly it's fun taking this wacky quiz...Try it yourself!

I'm a Ferrari 360 Modena!

You've got it all. Power, passion, precision, and style. You're sensuous, exotic, and temperamental. Sure, you're expensive and high-maintenance, but you're worth it.

"Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

My One and Only Tennis Champ

It has been over 10 days since Justine Henin announced her retirement from WTA. But upto now I still feel sad about it because truth be told, I only watch tennis because of her. Now the French Open does not seem exciting at all. It is because of her human spirit, her sheer determination to defeat all odds and making her victorious all the time that has made her a true inspiration -- an inspiration not just in tennis but in life even.

I support, though, her decision to retire. In fact, I admire her for it. Her reason for stopping is because the passion to win is gone. This speaks a lot about her character. If she continues to play without being able to give it her all then she will just short change herself and her fans. This goes to show that this lady truly knows herself. I salute her! ALLEZ JUSTINE!!!

2008 Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs

This is the first time Daily Crossovers joins Influential Blogger's Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs. This the second consecutive year that Influential Blogger is doing this writing project. I have attended last year's awarding ceremony and was so pleased to get to know the new faces emerging in the Philippine blogosphere so I promised myself I will send my list this 2008.

I have some favorite blogs that I would have included in my list but I have to stick to the rules - only blogs that started last July 2007 are qualified to be nominated. So I referred to my Entrecard dashboard, tried to recall the blogs mentioned by my friends, consulted the current list at Influential Bloggers to complete my list. Most of my nominees come from genres close to my heart -- mom blogs, e-commerce, travel, fashion, food. My other nominees made me smile or just plainly intrigued me. Most are from the Philippines, some are not. So here goes...

1. You Got Tech
2. Anak ni Kulapo
3. VintageGent's Menswear Daily
4. Blissfully Domestic
5. Money Saving Mom
6. Manila Foodistas
7. Blog ni Inday
8. Dante Remoto
9. Biyahilo
10. Gentleman's Gadget
    
    It's your turn...Nominate your own picks. By the way, RegaloService.com, my favorite full-service online gift shop, is one of the sponsors of this year's Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs.

Have You Discovered Your Strengths?

A friend gave me the book 'Now, Discover Your Strengths' by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton. Interesting read actually. It's theory is that one has to focus on its "Significant Themes" and turn them into strengths. The book has identified 34 different Significant Themes. It also says that our culture is too focused on "improving our weaknesses" which the author feels is a defeatist mindset. Though one should not ignore our "weaknesses", one should not dwell on it lest we forget to hone and maximize our strengths.


To be able to know your Top 5 Significant Themes, you have to take their online quiz at www.strengthsfinder.com. But here's the catch, to be able to take the quiz, you have to have your own copy of the book as your will need the Access Code at the back of the book which of course can only be used one time. Smart marketing ploy, if I may say so. You'll even get a Certificate after you've taken the quiz. Thank you to my friend, I really enjoyed the book :-) Here is my Certificate with my Top 5 Significant Themes.

2008 Online Holy Week Retreat

This is really great! Even if you stay at home or anywhere you are, you can have a guided retreat this Holy Week. Thanks to the Philippine Jesuits for organizing this 3-day online retreat starting Holy Thursday till Black Saturday. Of course, as they mentioned in their website this is not a substitute to a real retreat...but in my opinion, this is better than nothing, right? Plus, this is a good complement to the Holy Week Services that we attend in our respective parishes.

So do check it out and have a fruitful, blessed Holy Week - www.jesuits.ph

Advance Happy Easter!

Anne's Menu Express

Planning the family menu is one of the important tasks of a mom/wife. If you don't make a plan, for sure you'll be hearing comments like "Adobo na naman" or "Amoy sinigang na pawis ko". So it is best to have a menu plan for at least a week to ensure that there's variety and to have better control of your food budget. However, making a family menu plan is easier said than done. It can be a tedious task and really sometimes you just run out of ideas on what to prepare. But not to fret, we can recourse to ever reliable Anne Soriano. With a very minimal amount you can have a family menu plan for the month. Anne is very experienced in preparing and implementing a menu plan having to manage a household of at least 12 people so you are assured that there's wealth of experience there that you can cull. Visit Anne's website, Anne's Menu Express to know more about her Menu Plans.

Quiet After the Storm

Christmas Day came so fast this year...As expected, Christmas is one of the most hectic seasons we have at www.RegaloService.com...To think that I am in the gift business, this year all my gifts to my family, relatives and friends were all last minute purchases as we got caught up in attending to the orders of our clients at RegaloService.com...Tsk, tsk, tsk, not a good sign...This should be part of my New Year's Resolution -- Prepare for the gifts of family, relative and friends way before the Christmas orders come in at RegaloService.com...Anyway, all the business hassle and bussle, family Christmas preparations, get togethers, reunions and to add, the preparations for my Papa's 75th surprise birthday celebration on the 26th really made Christmas Day pass like a blur...I think I just said a passing "Happy Birthday" to Our Lord days before His birthday...But, really, the Holy Catholic Church, in her wisdom and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, instituted the Octave of Christmas. This is like the quiet after the storm -- after all the swirl, the twirl of Christmas preparations, things simmer down starting on Christmas Day until December 30 allowing one to reflect on the real relevance of the birth of our Saviour. This really is a welcome period to be serenely blissfully alone with the Lord knowing that God so loved us that He sent his Son to save us, reflecting that Our Lord came to this world in total humility and simplicity demonstrating to us that this is the showcase of true pure power and richness...And after being filled with God's quiet love and inspiration, you again are raring to start anew, inspired to be a better person, enthusiastic to be God's soldier once again in the middle of the world --- all of these inspiritation come just in time to celebrate the New Year, to welcome it with renewed hope and the enthusiasm to start again.

Smashing Year-end for Justine

What a year it was for Justine Henin! She started the year taking a leave from Australian Open as she has to attend to her divorce. Everybody thought can she make a comeback with such an emotional upheavel at the back of her mind. But more than comeback she did. She dominated the tennis scene winning the French Open, the U.S. Open, the year-end Sony Ericsonn Championships and a lot other second/third tiered tournaments.

Justine is simply the best...Despite her small frame (just look at the picture below, she's the smallest but she's the toughest), she can out win everybody else with sheer smart quick-minded plays and total determination. What an inspiration!

ALLEZ JUSTINE!

CodeRED's Awesome Pinas Promo

This must be a season of promos. Aside from www.RegaloService.com's True Friends Referral Promo, another exciting promo is currently running and this is CodeRED Magazine's Awesome Pinas Promo.

As CodeRED is a family magazine, it is just fitting to have the promo in two categories, one for parents and another for teens. The parents are to send photos while the teens are to send video clips. Check it out now!!!

What is your color personality?

Took this test -- for fun, for curiosity, for wala lang..
And I got an 'orange'...I am not sure how accurate is this as when they asked what is my favorit pet -- I got to stop and think as I really don't like taking care of pets...so sabi ko "sige na nga, dog!"...

What color is your personality? Your personality is orange! WOW! your an outgoing, and active individual. Sometimes your personality is confused with red, but your much more caring, and warm than red. You like animals, and can comfort almost anyone! Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

If you like to try it, go ahead and click ;-)

Winner Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the first time I baked chocolate-chip cookies and it was a success!!! It was chewy just the way we all like it here at home. Every bite guarantees a good portion of chocolate chips...Uhmmm...Yummy!!!...Well, I have to confess it was the pre-mix kind from Ghirardelli...It was so easy to follow and so fast to do and the best of all the results were really excellent!!!

Wimbledon belongs to Justin Henin!

Am I a fanatic or what?! :-) ALLEZ JUSTINE!!! She's smoothly winning every game at the 2007 Wimbledon!!! But I am still a nerve-wreck :-/ as I still am crossing my fingers and storming heaven so that Justine will have her first Wimbledon crown this year!!! ALLEZ JUSTINE!!!

Dress Code for Churchgoers

Just yesterday, the Archdiocese of Manila issued an instruction for churchgoers to dress "decently" when attending the Holy Mass, meaning, no shorts, no sandos/sleeveless shirts, no mini-skirts, no plunging necklines, no show-your-bottom pants...I can already hear some people saying "What you wear to Church does not matter, what matters is what is in your heart and your relationship with God." Well, you know, one's relationship with God manifests on how one dresses when he/she attends the Holy Mass. If one really knows, believes and loves God, he/she will put care, respect and delicateness in the way one dresses when attending the Holy Mass because it is in the Holy Mass that one gets to witness an actual physical miracle (transubstantiation - bread and wine becoming body and blood of Jesus, our Saviour), it is in the Holy Mass that one gets to receive, in physical and spiritual form, God Himself (Holy Communion). What can be more awesome than this! If one has a deep interior relationship with God, then, this will manifest even in aesthetic details like dressing up for Mass -- because as they say (and as I have learned from Oprah), LOVE IS IN THE DETAILS!!! Just think about it, if one goes to Mass wearing something straight out from watching television -- what is it trying to say ,"Hey, I don't want to be bothered thinking of what to wear and besides, this is comfortable. And it is already a good thing that I even go to Mass." What this person really is saying is that "God should not be a bother in my life. I don't want to go the extra mile for God because I don't know what He means to me. God owes me because I am going to Mass today." Now, is that the kind of attitude proper for a creature to take towards his Creator? Or even for a child to his parents? Or even an employee to his employer? The Church is not saying to wear "branded" or new clothes all the time...Just wear something that will show respect to Our Lord. Isn't it that when one goes for a job interview, we try to wear something decent to give respect to the person interviewing us and for us to show our best? Should we not be doing the same for our Creator -- we bring to Him the best of ourselves both inside and out. Sometimes, I get to go to attend Mass at the parishes of the "rich and famous" and how sad it is to see some of these "rich" people going to Mass in their shorts, collarless shirts and havaianas looking like they just arrived from their beach clubs. These people I am sure have more respectable clothes in their closets and can very well afford to buy clothes appropriate for worship, but why can't they use these material blessings to praise God. All of the material blessings we have all come from God, and we can only offer them back to God to give thanks and give him glory. Why not thank Our Lord by showing him in His physical presence that we appreciate what He has given us and that we wear them on His Banquet! So, yes, what you wear matters!